Goals Reflection

Before the semester started. I created three goals for myself to achieve during my stay in Alnwick. This post evaluates my progress and reflects on my experiences. This blog although was created for personal use, also provided the perfect final project for BRIT 201 as it reflects on my experience abroad. 

Academic: Learn about British culture, European culture, and traveling in Europe.

I have learned many aspects of British and European culture through observation. During my travels and time in Alnwick, I have noticed little and big similarities as well as differences between the English and Minnesotans back home. Northumberland is very rural and boasts many parks where people can experience the outdoors. I would say that in this way Minnesota and Northumberland are very similar with its attitudes toward embracing and enjoying nature. However, there are differences in other values of the people. For example, many Minnesotans hunt and fish and the state is well known for these outdoor activities. However, in Alnwick, these activities are not popular among the majority of the population and are even seen as an attack on wildlife. Another thing I wanted to accomplish before the end of the program was to learn about traveling in Europe since my sister and I will be doing that for over a month. I was able to gain a lot of knowledge and many recommendations about traveling through Wade, my homestay family, and friends in Alnwick.

Culture: Connect with Alnwick locals through the weekly market, service, or my homestay family.

Throughout my stay, I have been very involved in Alnwick and as a result have formed several friendships with the locals. I put in service hours at the Space at St. James’ Church, Salvation Army Clothing Store, St. Paul’s Church, St. Michael’s Church, and the Playhouse. This broad range of community service activities helped me meet many people from town. However, because I spread my time over many different places and organizations, I never formed any deep relationships from these service activities. My closest friends, outside of my homestay family, are Richard and Carol Evans who I met through attending weekly church services at St. Michael’s. My homestay family has definitely enhanced my study abroad experience. They are so knowledgeable about history and I always learn so much during our time together. Because we are so close, we are able to talk about more serious and touchy subjects concerning the differences between America and England. These discussions are so valuable to me and they have helped us bond and understand one another’s culture better.

Personal: Broaden my intercultural horizons by traveling throughout the United Kingdom and Europe.

Traveling certainly broadens the mind and in my opinion acts as a catalyst for personal development. Traveling across the United Kingdom through our weekly field trips and personal travels during break opened my eyes to the British culture and way of life. During my breaks, I also traveled outside of the United Kingdom to other countries of Europe. I was fortunate enough to make it to Ireland, Holland, and Belgium. All of those countries, although relatively close to one another, were very different. Each one had its own distinct flavor and personality. I have the opportunity to continue achieving this goal as I will be seeing much more of Europe as I will be traveling on the mainland for over two months. I plan to visit a number of countries and I imagine that I will enjoy exploring and discovering all the things which make each country stand out amongst the others. My trips over the last few months have prepared me for the extensive amount traveling I will be doing this summer both alone and with my sister.